Punishment
by decessus
Summary: Onyxia was only to pleased to see me.  Years of evading her only for me to come to her, and the ironic thing was she had possessed the instrument of my destruction all these years, yet never thought to use it.  On hiatus until further notice.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, this is my first story so if it's a little shoddy, sorry. I wrote this a long time ago and just now got around to publishing it. Plot's not the greatest so any ideas or suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

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Punishment

Stepping off the gryphon I smoothed my skirts (even riding side-saddle it was impossible not to get a little rumpled while flying on a gryphon.) and allowed the soothing sounds of city life to wash over me. Abruptly I heard something not normal. The sound of soft-slippered feet running and the sounds of armoured pursuit. Curiously I followed the sound out of the gryphon roost, down the side street and out to the crossroads where the road from Goldshire met the main square. I had expected it simply to be some poor beggar who had stolen something and gotten caught. I was very wrong. I felt my mouth fall open in shock as Sarah (one of the younger warlocks) came sprinting around the corner leading to the bridge to the mage quarter. (On instinct I motioned Grimjuk into a nearby alley and pulled the hood of my cloak up hiding my face.) Half a second later eight guards came into view, swords out, running after Sarah and quickly closing the distance. Sarah's attention was, unfortunately, on the guards chasing her and not on where she was going. That changed when she crashed into me sending us both sprawling.

One guard with an under-lieutenants badge offered me his hand and said, "Terribly sorry Miss! Are you hurt?" Taking his hand I hauled myself up and out from beneath Sarah who was now sobbing with fright.

"I'm fine. I was just not expecting to be run over." Silently I noted the feel of demonic residue from a void walker on his blade.

"I am so very sorry that you had to be touched by this scum." That while gesturing towards Sarah with his sword. "I'm afraid her kind is as sly as foxes when it comes to avoiding our notice. But not to worry! We shall soon wipe clean the stain of the warlocks from our city and then the rest of our lands!" I was confused. Sure no one actually liked our order. Most feared us and some even hated us. But hunting warlocks! Were these people nuts?

"I'm afraid I do not understand." I told him truthfully. "I have been in Westfall these past few weeks and so I have heard nothing of recent events. When was a warlock hunt issued?" The other seven guards had been slowly converging on Sarah but at this last they turned to face me. Sarah, her sobs finally quieted, took this opportunity to get up and run. I hoped for her sake that she was fast enough to reach the canals before the guards noticed her absence… and that she knew the underwater breathing spell.

"Roughly about three weeks ago my lady," He replied "We sent out cou…"

"**SEIZE HER!**" A guard who was standing on the other side of the street yelled. I had noticed him before this; however, I didn't think he would know what I was even if he could see Grimjuk. The breeze had changed just as he began his shout, carrying me a smell that was a combination of acrid smoke, swamp water, brimstone, and lizard so strong it made my nose hurt.

"It's the witch Fellixista!" he bellowed.

With a low oath I ran, dodging around the astonished lieutenant, towards where Sarah had first appeared, calling over my shoulder as I ran, "Grimjuk, you coming?" The guards were already after me though thanks to my head start they didn't have a prayer of catching me. Heck they couldn't even out run Grimjuk who came flying out of the alley he had been hiding in, a good ten feet behind the guards. He swiftly overtook them and slowed slightly only when he was but two feet from me. In order to reach the bridge I had to get through the crowd in front of the bank. I was hoping I would be able to lose my pursuers in the crowded plaza. Unfortunately for me the crowd had other ideas. I had been unaware that my hood had blown back revealing my face. Nor once I did realize it did I particularly care. Not many in Stormwind knew my face, and those who did thought me fairly harmless… for a warlock anyway. Or at least they had.

As I neared the crowd however I heard my name murmured over and over again. For some reason just before I reached the crowd they moved out of the way creating a clear path which continued to open up as I ran. Vaguely I recalled them doing something of the sort for Sarah, however, the gap had been much smaller and so I hadn't noticed… the fact that I had been busy trying to remember how to close my mouth might have had something to do with it as well.

I continued running and I was just about to turn the corner and make for the canals when pain suddenly **exploded **behind my eyes. I fell to the ground stunned, or at least I began to fall. Grimjuk was there within the second catching me and scooping me up into his arms. Despite the fact that I was only half conscious I could see (albeit upside-down) the shocked faces of the citizens as we passed by. It wasn't hard to find the reason why. As a general rule warlocks forced their wills upon their demonic minions and the demons would take every opportunity to break free and destroy those who had enslaved them… and anyone else in the general vicinity. It had been ludicrous to ever think that there could be an exception and yet, there's always one and here was the one. I could hear the sounds of our pursuer's feet, their labored breathing, ones angry curses, and another who hissed promises of what his mistress would do when she had me. We rounded the corner onto the bridge and almost smashed into another guard. He stumbled back with a startled oath and then joined in the chase.

We couldn't outrun them; just keep the lead we had. We couldn't lead them back to the slaughtered Lamb! From the amount of demonic energy I could feel either a whole horde of demons came and blew the inn into oblivion, or there was a whole crap load of warlocks sheltering there. Personally, I felt the second theory much more likely but either way there was no way I was leading Onyxia's henchmen there. I mumbled to Grimjuk to head around the next corner and duck into the alley a few feet down the street. (I knew the entire city like the back of my hand. A little sad but it did come in useful) It took us away from the inn and Grimjuk quickly caught on. The moment we were in the shadows Grimjuk set me down and readied for a fight. I smiled knowing that all his worry was for me, none for himself. Of course if he was defeated he would not actually die… but even so it was sweet. I had mostly recovered from my knock on the head though it still felt like the back of my skull had been smashed in with a sledge hammer. At the very least I had recovered enough to cast and to walk. Still smiling I first cast a spell that cloaked us both safely in shadows. We watched in silence as the guards rushed past us. Once I was sure they were gone (they had to be half way to the cathedral by now.) I told Grimjuk to wait there until I summoned him.

"And where exactly are you going that I cannot follow?" He asked his whispery voice holding a dangerous edge.

"To the Slaughtered Lamb of course!" I told him. "I don't know anything about what's been going on besides the fact that the guards are hunting warlocks and everyone knows my name. It's not dark enough for you to follow so PLEASE just stay here." Grimjuk grumbled a little but in the end he agreed to stay out of sight.


	2. Chapter 2

Five minutes later I was hurrying into the Slaughtered Lamb inn. It had started to drizzle lightly while I was out so I was soaked to the bone giving me a very good excuse for being here in the middle of the day. I had just started to look around trying to find the innkeeper when I noticed Sarah slipping in through the open door. I knew it was her because I saw her face just before she turned away. Making sure not to draw attention to myself I followed her down into the cellar … or what would have been the cellar if we hadn't moved into it. I waited until I knew she was in then followed.

The sighs of relief that had greeted her turned to gasps of shock as I came into view, and no wonder. Courtesy of the illusion I had cast on myself to them I looked like a common citizen. In normal times it would not have invoked the following response. But then, these were hardly normal times. In moments I was being bombarded by spells designed to bind me. I just smiled and hissed one word, "Sssiru." All the spells stopped and dissipated. While they were all frozen in shock I reached up and pulled off my hood releasing the illusion spell at the same time. "Okay. That didn't go as I had planned, but then again nothing is as it should be. Oh, by the way, Sarah? Next time please watch where you're going."

Sarah turned bright red and squeaked, "That was you?" I nodded, smiling so that she knew it was okay. After the initial moment of shock faded all the warlocks broke down into murmurs of welcome… though a few muttered sullenly that I had nearly given them a heart attack. To the latter I just managed to look abashed and murmured apologies while internally I chuckled and rolled my eyes. Demisette Cloyce seemed to realize this and gave a small chuckle of her own. Once all the murmurs died away everyone went back to their various tasks. No one in our order ever wasted time on prolonged welcomes, there were far more important things to worry about.

Once I was sure they had finished with the welcome I went over to the small desk that held all my work. A quick once over showed a few reports of demon activity that was to large scale for anything short of eight warlocks to deal with. I couldn't help a small chuckle at that. All the warlocks get assignments based on their specific skills, talents, and, in my case, reputation. I always got the ones dealing with large groupings of demons because sometimes they're following orders from me or my sister, but most of the time it's because I can eliminate them easily. There was also a very large, very old book with a note that was telling me to translate it from demonic into common. (I was the only one who could actually speak demonic easily and fluently.)

I knew I should get working on the book and send some of my agents to check out the demon groupings (which reminded me of Grimjuk. I initiated the summoning ritual. Grimjuk was through almost immediately so that didn't take long. As an afterthought I also summoned Pizfip, my imp, and Sarneri, my succubus.) I knew there was one thing I had to do first. Clearing a space on the desk I took out a paper and quill and began to write.

_Aileta,_

_It appears Onyxia isn't too happy with me after our last little run in. It's open season on warlocks here in Stormwind… not to mention there's a bounty on my head that from what Pizfip has been able to find out is bigger than Edward Cullen's bank account. So far I've had to run from Twenty-two guards (one of which was a black drake, PEE-U!) and one angry mob. (One of which was surprisingly accurate at throwing rocks. OUCH!) Well you wanted a report and here you go._

_Fellixista_

Sprinkling sand on the paper I carefully blotted the ink. Opening the desk drawer I pulled out a stick of red wax. However, instead of melting the end and sealing the paper like I usually would I simply held it fingering all along its length.

Indecision warred inside me. Finally I gave a small resigned sigh and replaced the wax. Leaning down I pulled out a bar of brilliant blue wax. With the others gazes boring into my back (for some strange reason they seemed to take great interest in what I was doing. The head council I could understand but not the rest.) I stuck the wax into the candle flame. When it was ready I used the wax to seal the letter, pulled off my left glove and plunged the face of my ring into the hot wax. Pulling free of the wax I heard Demisette gasp, not surprising. There, captured forever, was the image of a dragon, and, clutched in its front left foot was house Wrynn's coat – of – arms. It was the sigil of the vanished high princess of Stormwind. It was **MY** sigil.


	3. Chapter 3

I slipped the letter to Pizfip and he used his fade ability and slipped out the door. Demisette opened her mouth to say something... probably something lecture like. I talked right on over her while getting out some more paper and began to write out orders in demonic, "There is nothing to reprimand me for Demisette. I am well aware of the consequences if someone intercepts that letter and recognizes the seal. However all the sisters (the name we gave ourselves was extremely accurate and worked quite well as the name of an order) try to be informed of everything at every time. Writing and sending reports just makes it easier. That report was to Aileta and the seal shows her that something important is inside. Close your mouth Demisette. You look like a fish." All said in the most even tones imaginable. Demisette closed her mouth with a click and walked away while I handed Sarneri orders concerning the demon gatherings and all the information I had on them and started in on the old spell book.

Five minutes later I was almost done with all the translations when Demisette came back. I had known she would come back if only to tell me off for this morning, however, she was smiling. What possible reason could she have for smiling?

I finished the last line of the last spell and scrawled "Spell for Nathrezim **ONLY!**"Then I looked up at Demisette and quirked an eyebrow. I said nothing; I had no need too, for the question was plain on my face. Demisette simply smiled wider and placed a single unremarkable piece of parchment on my desk. A quick cursory glance revealed it was written in demonic so I briefly wondered who got their demon to translate for them. Only briefly because it quickly became clear from the handwriting, and grammar, that it was written by a human. Demisette simply murmured for me to read it through and left. I knew that if a human had gone through the trouble of writing a note in demonic then I knew that it was for no eyes but mine and that it must be fairly important however, I also knew that if I didn't do something soon I was gonna drown in papers.

With these thoughts in mind I picked up all that I had already translated and (Sarneri was out still dealing with a large group of incubi) handed them to Grimjuk. He glided around the cellar placing papers in the hands or on the tables of the corresponding warlocks. The book seemed to mainly consist of spells for Nathrezim and Eredar, almost completely useless for us but, that wasn't for me to decide, it was for the head demonologist.

With Grimjuk started I turned back to Demisette's note. Quickly reading through it I kept my eyebrows from shooting to my hairline only with great effort. Larick was **DEAD?** **I** was now on the council as the head demonologist! The sound of quiet breathing behind me broke into my stunned state of mind, thawing me. I glanced over my shoulder and smiled when I saw Grimjuk standing there the pile of papers in his hands apparently unchanged. (Minus the fact that all the useful spells had been delivered.) I rolled my eyes, of course Grimjuk would know, and took the papers from him. I quickly leafed through them and separated them into two stacks, one for Eredar and one for Nathrezim, and placed them back on the desk. Instead of going back to work however I instead looked up sharply.

Some of the warlocks nearby looked up too but, after noticing nothing more unusual than the sounds of an argument upstairs, they went back to what ever they were doing. My head, however, stayed up and I could feel as my expression changed first to one of surprise and then to one of amusement. A few minutes passed and then up the stairs came a being of such innate beauty and grace that I was surprised that the men were able to concentrate at all.

Several of the warlocks had looked up when she entered… also not surprising. It was plain at first glance that she was not one of us. For one thing all of her armor was made of hardened leather while I had yet to see a warlock wear anything other than cloth. In one hand she held a bow of extremely dark wood. On her back hung a quiver filled to bursting with arrows and on her right hip balanced a sword. The night – elf (her skin color left no doubt to that assessment) carried the presence of a hunter stalking prey that is now within her reach.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, sorry this took forever to get up. I'll try to be a little better about that.

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The other warlocks appeared to be getting ready to attack… probably assumed that they were the prey. It was a **very **bad idea on their side. Okay, time to diffuse this situation before the spell bombardment started up again.

"You know there are safer ways to do that Aileta." I said, nonchalantly leaning on the table and wincing as the movement brought a fresh wave of pain sweeping through my skull. I had nearly forgotten about that.

At the sound of her name everyone immediately relaxed. Even those who had never met her knew her, the demon elf.

Aileta simply smiled and said "no one was placed in any danger of discovery this way. I think some of the guards upstairs would notice if I went down here and didn't' come back up. And our friend would probably notice otherwise."

"Well that explains the smell coming from upstairs." I complained "Yuck!"

"So let me see if I've got this right." Aileta said amusement warring with annoyance in her voice. (Several of the warlocks were looking puzzled. Probably because of the comment about the smell) "Onyxia is ticked off about your taking a bite outta her shoulder and shredding her left wing and is now seeking retribution by hunting all warlocks to extinction and trying to capture you for whatever reason, that all?"

"That sounds about right." I replied "of course you probably know far more of what goes through the skull of that over grown lizard than I'll ever hope, or want, to." I was uncomfortably aware of the many pairs of shocked eyes all focused on me. What was with them? I was still the same warlock they had always known. It was then that I realized with a jolt that this wasn't entirely true. While I was still the same warlock now all but the council knew a shocking new secret about me.

I could just imagine what must be going through their heads; _she __**BIT**__ a dragon's shoulder? She shredded a dragon's wing? A __**DRAGON**__ wants us all dead and wants her captured? Who __**IS**__ she? _

My mind was so troubled that it took me a little while to realize that Aileta was laughing. So hard in fact that tears were streaming from the corners of her eyes. "I fail to see what's so humorous about this situation Aileta." I said curtly.

Aileta, quickly regaining control of herself, responded, "Oh nothing is humorous about the situation, sister." A slow grin began to spread across her face. "I was merely picturing the look on Onyxia's face if I just so happened to let slip that you called her an over grown lizard!" She was laughing again before the last word even left her mouth and this time I joined in.

"Good grief!" I gasped. "Can I see? Actually, scratch that. Do it and let us all see. We need a good laugh." Koltira was looking at me like I was nuts, (What? Did she think I meant to go to Onyxia's face and tell her?) But Aileta just grinned wider and opened a window in the air depicting a scene in the entry hall of the royal palace. In the scene Lady Katrina Prester was, once again, trying to convince everyone that the defias were not a serious threat. The warlocks all stood there in shock, after all this was a form of magic that they had never seen before.

Then from the window, Aileta's voice, still filled with amusement, said, "Onyxia?" In a tone that was almost shy.

"What do you want red worm?" No shyness in Onyxia's, only hatred, malice and, strange as it may seem, wariness.

"I just thought I'd tell you. Fell has a new nickname for you. Have fun beating this one." There could be no doubt this time. The shyness we had heard before had been her trying, and failing, to keep the amusement out of her voice.

"Oh?" Onyxia's voice was interested now. "And what would this new nickname be? Shitaro Daisy?" On the last sentence her voice turned wry. I couldn't help myself. I cracked up. I wound my arms around my stomach, bent double, and laughed as loud as I could without attracting any attention from upstairs. Aileta, after a moment of surprised silence, gave a small chuckle of her own. The other warlocks all wore a look of confusion and annoyance so I explained that Shitaro Daisy literally translated into Lovely Flower. That certainly occasioned a few chuckles.

Nothing changed but suddenly a wave of impatience stole through the room and all laughter immediately ceased. "Well?" Hissed Onyxia and her tone made it clear whose impatience it had been.

Aileta's face turned serious. Though I could tell it was just a sham I doubted anyone else could. "Fell's new nickname for you is 'That over grown Lizard."

"….." Lady Prester (A.K.A. Onyxia) excused herself from the kings presence. We couldn't even feel her emotions… That was **NEVER** a good sign. She walked swiftly towards her room and shut the door firmly behind her.

"An 'overgrown lizard' am I?" Her voice was deadly quiet. "I don't suppose that she would be right there. Is she?"

"Where else would I be?" I inquired just the merest hint of a smile in my voice.

"An overgrown lizard?" She practically hissed. "Then perhaps you would not be averse to a little contest. We could see who's stronger, the 'overgrown lizard' or the poor little Da'covale."

Aileta's head snapped up, all traces of amusement vanishing as instead fury burned hot and fierce turning her face still as stone and making it appear that her eyes had become molten pools of silver fire. Bad move Onyx. Course all I could think at that point was, "Oh she did not!" I glared at the window (knowing full well that she couldn't see me and not particularly caring) and said,

"Bring it sister!" That diffused the situation whether I had meant it to or not, and I most certainly had not. I blinked and realized that the same shocked expression that must have been on my face was mirrored in the faces of both Aileta AND Onyxia.

Aileta shook herself and made the window vanish. Looking at me she asked, "Did you just call Onyxia **SISTER?"** Still to shocked to speak I just nodded numbly. Vaguely I noticed the other warlocks gathering in small groups and talking in hushed voices but I was to numb even to wonder what they were talking about. Aileta was muttering to herself that depending on how you defined "sister" technically I was Onyxia's sister.

At that I just gave her an annoyed look, picked up my cloak, motioned to Sarneri, who had gotten back sometime in the middle of our conversation, snarled, "I'm going out for a while." And, with the gazes of both the warlocks and Aileta boring into my back, stalked up the stairs and out the door leaving Aileta to give explanations that I knew she would slither out of giving.

I knew I was being unfair but I was too steamed to really care. It was mostly myself that I was angry at though Onyxia had a very large chunk of anger directed at her and I was a little annoyed at Aileta for giving voice to what we all were too afraid to admit. Even so it really wasn't going to be safe for anyone if I stayed down in that cellar with all those now extremely curious warlocks so I stopped in at "Larson's Clothiers", bought several spools of silken thread of various colors as well as 12 bolts of silk cloth also of varying colors. Surprisingly enough they needed help filling all their orders and asked if I would mind earning a little extra money by making some of the more elaborate clothing. They, of course, had heard of the troubles my people were having and figured a little extra coin would not go amiss. They were right. Some of the orders made my eyebrows rise but even so I picked up the extra cloth I would need, headed to the trade quarter, plopped down on a step and started sewing. I did not know why but for some reason sewing always calmed me down. I certainly needed calming today. Looking through the various orders I picked up the one that had the closest deadline but was also fairly difficult and got to work.


End file.
